Audio Research Ref 6 SE

I owned an  used Arc ref 5 se for a few months before upping it to the a brand new ref 6. Big difference in sound. Wondering how much better will the ref 6se sound compares to the 6. I am kinda disappointed Arc came out with a ref 6se so soon. It makes me think that these are not Ref preamps if they upgrade so often. Don’t make sense. It almost makes me think as soon as a new Ref model comes out they are working on another new Ref model to replace the last one. And it’s only about money. 

01-06-2020 12:47pmNo thanks. I will wait for a Reference 45 SE MK III due out in a few years.

opus111 don’t you mean in a few months?  

The question I would like an answer to is; just who is designing the circuits and "improvements" now that Ward Fiebiger died in 2017? I suspect that McIntosh Group fka Fine Sounds SPA is simply playing "design by committee" with a group of far less talented and individual-visioned engineers who also assist with Wadia and McIntosh product development. The case work of the Ref 6 was the first hint of this and then came the obnoxious (in the eyes of the beholder) power meters of the 160 M and S products. So, is there a truly talented engineer dedicated to ARC products who is developing real advances in circuit design or not? If so, who is he or her? And btw, I am no EE but the basic circuit layout and components inside the Ref 6SE as shown on the website look identical to those of the Ref 6.  https://audioresearch.com/product/ref-6se/

fsonicsmith. I too was looking at the info and photo of the new Ref 6 se on the Arc website. If u enlarge the pic of the Ref 6 se u will notice that it is of a pic the Ref 6 and not a pic of the new Ref 6 se. 

If u enlarge that pic of the Ref 6 se the writing on the pre amp says Ref 6.